No abstract / New Testament / D.Th.

This dissertation investigates the influence of western missionaries upon African Christians in general and more specifically, Baptists in Kenya. Of particular concern to this study is western influence on the concept and practice of Christian ministry in Kenya Baptist churches. It is asserted that western missionary influence has been negative upon Kenya Baptist churches in the concept of Christian ministry. Missionaries introduced a distinction between clergy and laity, emphasizing a ministry model of paid clergymen who dominate and drive their respective congregations. This contradicts clear New Testament teaching that every believer is a minister and is spiritually gifted to do Christian ministry in the context of the local church. Pastors are needed to equip and free church members to minister. Thus, it is concluded that Baptists in Kenya need to change from following missionary introduced patterns of Christian ministry to that which is spiritual gifts-based and lay dependent. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

São mais de três décadas que estou envolvido diretamente com o mundo eclesiástico cristão e acompanhando de perto comportamentos não recomendados, que perpassam expectativas no âmbito espiritual, amoroso e violento; que acontece de maneira açodada nos lares cristãos; que são omitidos, velados, e até ocultados em nome de uma ética que prefiro chamar de hipocrisia cínica. Sendo que, quando nos reportamos a esses fatos é de costume dizer: que estas coisas acontecem com as pessoas do mundo; e, nunca no mundo das pessoas cristãs. Só que a realidade aponta para questões sombrias e polêmicas, que por muito tempo vem sendo empurrada para baixo do tapete. A nossa proposta com este trabalho é trazer à discussão assuntos que dizem respeito às realidades do nosso viver diário e que não podemos em hipótese alguma, fazer de contas que elas não existem. Ou enfrentamos com o intuito de debelar causas e efeitos, ou seremos destruídos por este monstro chamado violência. / For three decades I have been directly involved with the ecclesiastic Christian world closely and following undesirable behaviors that go beyond expectations in spiritual, loving and violent environments in spiritual environment, lovely and violent that happens frequently in Christians homes, which are omitted, hidden and ever concealed in the name of an ethic that I prefer to call cynical hypocrisy; so that when we report these facts its normal to say these things happen with people from the world, and never in the world of Christian people. The reality point to shadowy and controversial questions that for a long time have been swept under the carpet. Our purpose with this work is to discuss matters which relate to the realities of everyday life and which we cannot, by any means, pretend do not exist. Either we face up to attacking the causes and effects or we will be destroyed by this monster called violence.

Orientador: Ronaldo Rômulo Machado de Almeida / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T04:49:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pinto_FlaviaSlompo_M.pdf: 2541440 bytes, checksum: 3eb6d2ac5e9f12e3946ddd41023d1777 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: A Toca de Assis é uma comunidade católica com proposta de vida religiosa consagrada, oriunda da cidade de Campinas (SP) desde o ano de 1994. Adotando como método a pesquisa de campo, analiso tal comunidade em sua dimensão simbólica e ritual a partir de sua proposta de resgate da "verdadeira Igreja Católica" por vias da experiência pessoal e imediata com Deus. Acompanhando a Toca de Assis desde o ano de 2005, a presente pesquisa indica um processo de tensão e mudanças em sua relação com o meio social e com a instituição hierárquica da Igreja Católica. A partir das relações sociais e práticas religiosas da Toca de Assis, proponho uma etnografia que pense a máquina de atualização do mito cristão nos limites de uma comunidade local em conexão com a autoridade romana, assim como nos limites da experiência pessoal em conexão com a instituição eclesiástica / Abstract: Toca de Assis is a Catholic community with proposed consecratedlife, originating from Campinas (SP) city since 1994. Based on fieldwork, I analyze the community's symbolic and ritual dimension from its proposal of rescue of the "true Catholic Church" by ways of personal and immediate experience with God. Following Toca de Assis since 2005, this research indicates a process of tension and changes in its relation with society and the hierarchical institution of Catholic Church. Based on its social relationships and religious habits, I show an ethnography that thinks the christian's myth actualizing machine from the limits of a local community in connection with the roman authority, as well from the limits of the personal experience in connection with the ecclesiastical institution / Mestrado / Antropologia Social / Mestre em Antropologia Social

D.Litt.et Phil. / The world in which the Christian community finds themselves today, is a world that has in many ways spiritually lost its way. This has led to the ethical and moral decay that has as a result, social problems, as well as social and political corruption. The Church is also experiencing a crisis. The Church, until recently was the centre of many people‟s existence, but now increasingly people are removed from the church and churchless. Is there an antidote to counteract this assault on the Christian faith? As per the argument in this dissertation, the answer lies in the lifestyle of the faithful, according to their confession. A way of life that confirms and not renounces the Biblical truths is the only way in which the Church‟s credibility can be restored in a post modern milieu. It is also one of the most important ways in which the decay in society can be counteracted; a Church that can yet again, as a bride of Christ perform her missiological duty as the salt and light of the world. This conclusion has forced the relevance of this research to the forefront. Paul describes the Corinthians as the holy temple of God in which the Holy Spirit resides (1 Cor 3:16-17). Two questions immediately arise: what relevance does this metaphor have on a Christian lifestyle and can a metaphor, applied 2000 years ago to the Christians in Corinthians, have any hermeneutical value, today? Can it serve as an ethical core moment in the post-modern time in which we find ourselves? These are some of the questions addressed in this research. The temple motif is a central theme found throughout the Bible. This is born through God‟s desire to live amidst his people. He instructs Moses to build a tent tabernacle, so that He “can live in their midst” (Ex 25:8). This tabernacle moved with the Israelites, everywhere they went. This was the place where God revealed his special presence, where daily offerings were made as atonement for the people‟s sins and where, once a year on the Great Day of Reconciliation the high priest went into the Most Holy to atone for the sins of the people as well as his own. Everything in and around the tabernacle was characterized by holiness.

This thesis investigates the seven promises of the Promise Keepers movement using the rhetorical criticism method of fantasy theme analysis. In order to understand this movement, four research questions guided the study: ( 1) What common themes are embedded in the rhetoric of the Promise Keepers? (2) What is the rhetorical vision promoted by the Promise Keepers movement? (3) What makes the vision of the Promise Keepers movement so persuasive to so many Christian men in America? (4) Based on an examination of the rhetoric of the Promise Keepers movement, what can be ascertained about the motives of the movement?" In order to answer these questions, a rhetorical analysis was conducted on the primary literature of the movement. The analysis indicated that the Promise Keepers are trying to transform America into a Christian nation. The Promise Keepers believe that change can be brought about if men follow the movement's seven promises for Christian living. Through these promises, the movement emphasizes a patriarchal view of men in society. In addition, the analysis of the movement's rhetoric suggests that the Promise Keepers are not interested in political change, but moral change through the lives of individual men.

No description available.

Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is an interdisciplinary missiological study. It engages the sociological theory of structuration to critically explore the missionary Christianity approach and methods of conversion in the Lutheran Church, Northwest Tanzania, and their impact on the Haya Christian life. To this end, a theoretical scaffolding matrix of conversion is explored based on biblical and theological understanding, social theories of conversion, patterns and models of conversion. It is also pointed out that conversion is not only a theological but also a social phenomenon. Consequently, the Haya religio-cultural spiritual life and worldview are further investigated. The methods that were employed by missionary Christianity to missionize Northwest Tanzania are also explored based on the missionaries‟ home socio-political cultural context that informed these methods. Lastly, the Haya‟s earlier and later responses to the methods are highlighted and analyzed. The dissertation argues that the missionary Christianity approach and methods of conversion were important in that they accelerated social change through modernization, new ways of dressing, accessibility to western medicine and appropriation of western education that was instrumental in the production of both church and national potential leaders who later brought about political awareness, modern development and socio-political transformation. Nonetheless, the research has ascertained that the missionary Christianity approach and methods of conversion produced mainly dual converts who remained adherents of both Christianity and Haya traditional religion. This was because from the outset most western missionaries aimed at almost perverting Haya religion and culture in the placement of Christianity that was intrinsically embedded in western culture. This suggests the reasons for the inadequacy of the missionary Christianity conversion strategic approach to seriously take cognizance of the Haya religio-cultural spirituality and worldview which, as it was unpacked in the study, inherently embraces both the physical and metaphysical existential realm. Thus for the Haya, if this fact is not taken seriously, conversion seems irrelevant. That is why Haya Christians tend to actualize “real” conversion within the Revival Movements and Pentecostal-Charismatic churches‟ form of Christianity instead of maintaining loyalty to the doctrine of their mother churches, for this spiritual form of Christianity has to a greater extent demonstrated the ability to attempt to indigenize Christianity among them as, without ignoring modern ways of life, it addresses the Haya religio-cultural spirituality and worldview. Engaging structuration theory analysis, the study argues that the Haya realization of what seems “real” conversion within the revival framework and other spiritual movements and Pentecostal-Charismatic form of Christianity by most Haya Lutheran Christians in Northwest Tanzania, is an attempt to indigenize Haya missionary Christianity conversion. This is because for the Haya‟s comprehension and praxis of conversion is not only determined by missionary Christianity activity, but to some degree their traditional religio-cultural context plays a role in shaping and structuring conversion that makes sense to them. Since social structure comprises rules and resources (Giddens 1984; Wuthnow 1987; Richard 1994) which human agents draw on and reproduce as they act and yet remain open for transformation, the Haya traditional social structure therefore provides an arena for them to draw on religiosity and other spiritual resources and reproduce them even as they convert to Christianity. The study further proposes that the sociological theory of structuration in an interdisciplinary study of conversion provides a useful tool in attempting to understand the dynamics of conversion among the Haya within the Lutheran Church in Northwest Tanzania, along with their tendency to actualize their “real” conversion within the revivalist or Pentecostal-Charismatic form of Christianity. Since “real” conversion cannot be limited or absolutized in these forms of Christianity, the research proposes an “integrative model of conversion” as the most relevant approach to our contemporary missionary preoccupation and engagement. This model suggests the hermeneutics and ecclesial praxis of conversion that is based on religio-cultural sensitivity that suggests harnessing spirituality and religio-cultural rules and resources from within the framework of Haya traditional religion, missionary Christianity, East African Revival and the Pentecostal-Charismatic form of Christianity through a mutual dialogue. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie dissertasie is ʼn interdissiplinêre missiologiese studie. Dit maak gebruik van die sosiologiese strukturasie-teorie om kritiese ondersoek in te stel na missionêre Christelike benaderings en metodes van bekering in die Lutherse Kerk in Noordwes Tanzanië, en die impak daarvan op die Haya se Christelike lewe. ʼn Teoretiese gesteierde bekerings-matriks word verken gebaseer op Bybelse en teologiese begrip, sosiale bekerings-teorieë, patrone en modelle van bekering. Daar word ook op gewys dat bekering nie net ʼn teologiese verskynsel is nie, maar ook ʼn sosiale een. Daarna word die Haya godsdiens-kulturele spiritualiteit en wêreldbeskouing verder ondersoek. Die metodes wat ingespan is deur die missionêre Christendom om Noordwes Tanzanië te missionaliseer is ook ondersoek met verwysing na sendelinge se eie sosio-politieke kulturele konteks wat hierdie metodes geïnformeer het. Laastens is die Hayas se vroeëre en latere reaksie op die metodes geïdentifiseer en ontleed. Die dissertasie betoog dat die missionêre Christelike benadering en metodes van bekering belangrik was aangesien dit sosiale verandering versnel het deur modernisasie, nuwe style van kleredrag, toegang tot Westerse medisyne en die toe-eiening van Westerse opvoedkunde. Dít was weer instrumenteel in die vorming van potensiële kerklike en nasionale leiers wat later politieke gewaarwording, moderne ontwikkeling en sosio-politieke transformasie meegebring het. Die navorsing het egter ook aangedui dat die missionêre Christelike benadering en bekeringsmetodes hoofsaaklik tweeledige bekeerlinge geproduseer het wat beide die Christelike en die tradisionele Haya godsdienste aangehang het. Dit was omdat die meeste sendelinge in hul pogings om die Christelike godsdiens, wat intrinsiek in die Westerse kultuur gegrond was, te vestig, die Haya godsdiens probeer demoniseer het. Dit dui aan dat die redes vir die ontoereikendheid van die missionêre Christelike bekering-strategie moet ernstig kennis neem van die Haya godsdiens-kulturele spiritualiteit en wêreldbeskouing wat, soos die in die studie uiteengesit word, inherent beide die fisiese en godsdienstige eksistensiële ryke omarm. As hierdie feit nie ernstig bejeën word nie, is bekering dus vir die Haya irrelevant. Haya Christene geneig is om “ware” bekering te aktualiseer in Herlewingsbewegings en Pinkster-Charismatiese kerke se vorm van Christelikheid pleks daarvan om lojaal te bly aan die leer van hul moederkerke, want hierdie spirituele vorm van Christelikheid demonstreer tot ʼn groter mate die strewe om Christelikheid onder hulle inheems te maak deur die Haya godsdiens-kulturele spiritualiteit en wêreldbeskouing aan te spreek sonder om die modern leefwyse te verontagsaam. Die studie maak gebruik van strukturasie-teorie analise om te betoog dat die meeste Haya Lutherse Christene in Noordwes Tanzanië se gewaarwording van “ware” bekering binne die Herlewings-raamwerk en ander spirituele bewegings en Pinkster-Charismatiese vorms van Christelikheid is ʼn poging om Haya missionale Christelike bekering inheems te maak. Vir die Hayas word die begrip en praksis van bekering nie net bepaal deur missionale Christelike aktiwiteit nie, maar tot ʼn mate speel hul tradisionele godsdiens-kulturele konteks ook ʼn rol in die vorming en strukturering van ʼn bekering wat vir hulle sin maak. Omdat sosiale strukture bestaan uit reëls en bronne (Giddens 1984; Wuthnow 1987; Richard 1994) waaruit mense put, wat hulle reproduseer en wat tog oop bly vir transformasie, voorsien die Haya tradisionele sosiale struktuur dus ʼn arena waarin hulle kan put uit godsdienstigheid en ander spirituele bronne en dit reproduseer, selfs as hulle-hulle bekeer tot die Christendom. Die studie voer voorts aan dat die sosiologiese teorie van strukturasie in ʼn interdissiplinêre studie van bekering ʼn nuttige werktuig bied om die dinamiek van bekering onder die Haya in die Lutherse Kerk in Noordwes Tanzanië te verstaan, tesame met hul neiging om hul “ware” bekering te aktualiseer in Herlewingsbewegings of in Pinkster-Charistmatiese vorms van Christelikheid. Aangesien “ware” bekering nie in hierdie vorms van Christelikheid beperk of verabsoluteer kan word nie, stel die navorsing ʼn “integrerende model van bekering” voor as die mees relevante benadering tot ons kontemporêre missionêre fokus en betrokkenheid. Hierdie model stel voordat ʼn hermeneutiese en ekklesiale praksis van bekering wat gebaseer is op godsdiens-kulturele sensitiwiteit en spiritualiteit en godsdiens-kulturele reëls vanuit die raamwerk van Haya tradisionele godsdiens, missionale Christelikheid, Oos-Afrika Herlewingsbewegings en die Pinkster-Charistmatiese vorms van Christelikheid deur wedersydse dialoog.

Thesis (MPhil (Old and New Testament. Bible Interpretation))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This study deals with discipleship as a challenge to the church in the twenty first century, with the Gospel of Mark as a starting-point. Discipleship is after all the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It embraces the whole of the church’s existence; identity and integrity. Evans (2001:30) exclaims: “To be a true disciple, one must accept the fate of the Master; and the Master’s fate is inextricably bound up with his identity, purpose, and mission. True Discipleship cannot emerge in isolation from true Christology.”